Tuesday June 30, 2015 Fly Fishing Report for Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado

The Upper Pecos Watershed Association is holding their annual fundraiser Water, Wildflowers, and Trout on Sunday July 12th at the spectacular Brush Ranch. Social hour, cocktails, and silent auction start at 5:00 pm with a catered dinner at 6:00. Music by the Buckarettes. The cost is $75.00 per person. Please RSVP by July 8th with UPWA by calling 505-757-3600. See UPWA website for more details.


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San Juan River 371 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The fishing on the San Juan continues to be very good. Another good rain storm here will produce another carpenter ant fall. The fish go nuts during the event. You'll be a lucky angler if you happen to be there. Egg patterns, worms, and streamers make great attractors with a trailed midge or baetis pattern. Midges are still hatching from 10:00 am till noon and baetis are still hatching in the afternoon below Texas Hole. Black, gray, brown, and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings. Chocolate and olive have been the best baetis colors. Johnny flash and foam wing emergers are among the favorites.The fishing downstream of Simon Canyon is slowly improving as the sediment load continues to move downstream. The Special Trout Water section is all catch and release and has a two fly only rule. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!


Pecos River 34 cfs on Mora River; Good: 110 cfs below Terrero; Good    
The river is still a little high, but fairly clear throughout from Cowles to Pecos. It's much more wadable throughout. Recent storms have murked up the lower river below the Tres Lagunas burn scar. Clearer water can be found upstream. There are some stoneflies still out although the hatch is waning. Dry fly fishing is good on stoneflies, caddis, blue winged olives, and hoppers. As far as nymphs go, on the lower river below Terrero, the bigger darker stonefly nymphs are still the top producers. Upriver, baetis nymphs, caddis larvae, and little golden stones are working subsurface. The Pecos National Historical Park's summer season started Thursday June 18th. See the Pecos National Historical Park's website for more information.

Rio Grande 744 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1300 cfs at Pilar; Slow for trout, Slow for pike, Slow for smallmouth bass
Snowmelt is affecting the Rio less and less these days, but the river is more subject to dam release and heavy rain events. It's a great time to raft the Rio with these flows. The water is murky at Pilar and a bit clearer in the upper river above it's confluence with Red River. If the cool influx stays around trout fishing can be good between storms. The smallmouth fishing will pick up once the water temps warm. Bigger flies like streamers, stonefly nymphs, and crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis pupa or larvae or baetis nymphs should get you into fish once things come down a bit and clear up..

Jemez Mountain Streams  63 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good  
The lower Jemez and Guadalupe had a huge flash flood this weekend. Both streams have jumped their banks and left a lot of debris along the rivers. This could have a negative impact on the fish and fishing. We'll see. Dry fly fishing is slowly improving on the Guadalupe. Nymphing still remains more productive then dry fly fishing. I have had good reports of better fishing on  the Cebolla above Seven Springs Fish Hatchery or the East Fork or the San Antonio in or just out side the Valles Caldera. The Forest Service has closed some areas of the Rio Cebolla and San Antonio to fishing. All of these areas are fenced off and signed. There is still plenty of water that is not off limits. Dry fly dropper rigs have been the better producers as not all of the fish are willing to commit to dries if the water has any depth to it. The fishing program resumed Friday May 15th on the Valles Caldera. The rules have changed now that the Preserve is under Park Service management. See their website for the details.

Chama River 192 cfs at La Puente; Fair to Good: 202 cfs below El Vado Dam; Fair to Good: and 340 cfs below Abiquiu Dam;  Slow to Poor 
The river flowing into El Vado Reservoir is coming down in flow everyday. The window looks like it has just opened on this stretch. Hit it now before the water gets diverted and slows the fishing. The upper Chama above the village of Chama is a little high and tough fishing and wading. The water is clear however, and I have had a report of good fishing. The release below El Vado dam varies a lot. Typically, higher releases out of El vado occur regularly on the weekends througout the summer. 600 cfs makes fishing more difficult. Look for a release under 400 for safe wading and better fishing. The lower release is generally from Sunday through Thursday. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae are still the top fly choices. The release below Abiquiu isn't very consistent. I'd check this place off of the list until late August or September. The release is being drawn from the base of the dam flushing silt into the river. It is very murky below Abiquiu Dam and will likely remain so until fall. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. Please report anyone over harvesting there to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 3.0 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Fair to Good: 107 cfs at Cimarron
Biblical rain storms here over the weekend sent tons of debris onto Highway 64, caused bad local flooding and took the life of a young boy scout on Philmont Scout Ranch. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this young man. Most of the Cimarron is unaffected in the state park except where a debris flow dammed a section of river. The reports I've had before the rains have been good. Red midge larvae and scuds were the best flies. PMD nymphs, baetis nymphs, San Juan worms, and golden stone fly nymphs round out the fare for the Cimarron.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 271 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Good: 523 cfs at Mogote; Good.
Spring snowmelt is finally waning here. The release out of Platoro is low enough that the meadows should fish fairly well. The water is a bit higher and the wading is tougher on the lower river. Stoneflies are out and gray drakes and PMD's are making their first appearances. Through the fly water, dredging the deeper runs with stone fly nymphs and San Juan worms seems to be the most successful tactic. Dry dropper rigs with a long dropper are also catching fish. I haven't had any reports on the tribs. They could fish well also as long is it's not too high to wade.

Rio Grande 1200 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Fair to Good: 1970 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
The release although rather high has been steady for over a week now. Stoneflies are out and I suspect that green drakes could be as well as the timing is right for that bug also. Fishing out of a boat should be good, but tougher on the wading angler. Streamer fishing and nymph fishing has also been good.   

Pagosa Area- Piedra River 441 cfs at Arboles; Fair to Good; San Juan River 498 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Fair to Good
Spring snowmelt is subsiding around the Pagosa area opening up a lot more fishing. The headwater streams or smaller tribs of the San Juan east of Pagosa or the upper forks of the Piedra are the most fishable right now. The timing is right for PMD's stoneflies and drakes to start flying here as well.

Animas River 2780 cfs at Durango; Slow to Fair 
The Animas is still quite high but clear. Fishing should improve with declining flows. The Pagosa area to the east of Durango has the best conditions locally. Keep checking flows. Better fishing is around the corner.  

Arkansas River 1530 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 2790 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
Dam releases from Sugarloaf Reservoir to Clear Creek as well as runoff from the tribs has caused the Ark to go up in flow like every other stream in the region. The better fishing is going to be upriver of Buena Vista and Chalk Creek. Any tributary that you can get above is generally resulting in clearer water. Wading is tough but the Hayden Meadows area is the best bet. Blue winged olives are still the most hatch centric thing going on.

 Stream flows and dam releases can and have changed overnight. Be sure to check out our links page for stream flows for New Mexico and Colorado before you go or CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.


Please see our home page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 505-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions and closures.

Friday June 12, 2014 Fly Fishing Report for Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado

Tomorrow, Saturday June 13th is the Annual Pecos River Cleanup. Please come and join the Upper Pecos Watershed Association and help clean up our public accesses along the Pecos.Volunteers are asked to meet at  the UPWA office in Pecos at 9:30 am.  See their website for more details.

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San Juan River 314 cfs below Navajo Dam; Good
The San Juan remains a solid bet as a place to have good fishing especially with snowmelt affecting every other river. The river clarity is much improved with almost four feet of visibility and the fishing is good. Egg patterns, worms, and streamers make great attractors with a trailed midge or baetis pattern. Midges are still hatching from 10:00 am till noon and baetis are still hatching in the afternoon below Texas Hole. Black, gray, brown, and olive midge larvae and pupa are the top producers near the dam especially in the mornings. Chocolate and olive have been the best baetis colors. Johnny flash and foam wing emergers are among the favorites.The fishing downstream of Simon Canyon is slowly improving as the sand continues to move downstream. The Special Trout Water section is all catch and release and has a two fly only rule. If you see someone in violation, turn them into Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263. Officers have been checking people for licenses, barbless flies, and the number of flies on your rig! File those barbs or go barbless, as the fines are steep!


Pecos River 104 cfs on Mora River; Slow to Fair: 203 cfs below Terrero; Fair to Good    
The river is high, but fairly clear throughout from Cowles to Pecos. It's definitely tough wading so pick your access carefully. Currently the flows are coming down after what looks like the peak last week. Stoneflies are out. Dry fly fishing is still slow as the fish are seemingly reluctant to rise for them. On the lower river below Terrero, the bigger darker stonefly nymphs are the top producers.  I like twenty inchers and biot stoneflies.Try some sofa pillows and rogue foams for the dries. Smaller nymphs are working better up river. Typical baetis nymphs, pheasant tails, and caddis larvae have been the top choices Look for depth as the fish don't have much else for holding water. The Pecos National Historical Park's summer season starts Thursday June 18th. See the Pecos National Historical Park's website for more information.

Rio Grande 511 cfs at Cerro; Slow: 1250 cfs at Pilar; Slow for trout, Slow for pike, Slow for smallmouth bass
The Rio went up like everything else locally with snowmelt and dam releases in Colorado. It's a great time to raft the Rio with these flows. The water is murky at Pilar and I suspect even in the upper river above it's confluence with Red River. Some sporadic blue winged olive hatches are occurring but not in big enough numbers to bring fish to the surface. Bigger flies like streamers, stonefly nymphs, and crane fly larvae with a trailing caddis pupa or larvae or baetis nymphs should get you into fish once things come down a bit and clear up..

Jemez Mountain Streams  53 cfs above Jemez Pueblo; Good  
I just had the first report of stoneflies on the Guadalupe last week. Not much action however. Nymphing still remains more productive then dry fly fishing. I have had reports of better fishing on  the head water streams like the Cebolla above Seven Springs Fish Hatchery or the East Fork or the San Antonio in or just out side the Valles Caldera. The Forest Service has closed some areas of the Rio Cebolla and San Antonio to fishing. All of these areas are fenced off and signed. There is still plenty of water that is not off limits. Dry fly dropper rigs have been the better producers as not all of the fish are willing to commit to dries if the water has any depth to it. The fishing program resumed Friday May 15th on the Valles Caldera. The rules have changed now that the Preserve is under Park Service management. See their website for the details.

Chama River 890 cfs at La Puente; Poor: 699 cfs below El Vado Dam; Slow to Fair: and 905 cfs below Abiquiu Dam;  Poor 
The river flowing into El Vado Reservoir is coming down in flow but is still high, cold, and murky. Runoff is still upon the upper Chama and fishing may remain tough for a couple of more weeks. The release below El Vado dam varies a lot. Typically, higher releases out of El vado occur regularly on the weekends througout the summer. 600 cfs makes fishing more difficult. Look for a release under 400 for safe wading and better fishing. The lower release is generally from Sunday through Thursday. Streamers, stonefly nymphs and cranefly larvae are still the top fly choices. The release below Abiquiu isn't very consistent. I'd check this place off of the list until late August or September. The release is being drawn from the base of the dam flushing silt into the river. It is very murky below Abiquiu Dam and will likely remain so until fall. The Chama River above El Vado and below Abiquiu are Special Trout Waters with reduced bag limits. Please report anyone over harvesting there to New Mexico Game and Fish at 1-800-432-4263.

Cimarron River 0.2 cfs below Eagle Nest Dam; Slow to Fair: 51 cfs at Cimarron
Apparently the warmer weather has taken its toll on the Cimarron. Tolby Creek at the upper end of the state park is putting in some murky water and the river is collecting more dirty trib flow downstream. Give it a week or so for flows on the tribs to come down and things to clear up.Red midge larvae and scuds were the best flies. PMD nymphs, baetis nymphs, San Juan worms, and golden stone fly nymphs round out the fare for the Cimarron.

In Southern Colorado:

The Conejos River 99 cfs below Platoro Reservoir; Fair to Good: 1650 cfs at Mogote; Fair to Good.
Spring snowmelt has hit the Conejos and the river has come up in flow over the last week like everything else. The release out of Platoro is low enough that the meadows should fish fairly well. The water is higher and the wading is tougher on the lower river. Dredging the deeper runs with stone fly nymphs and San Juan worms seems to be the most successful tactic. I haven't had any reports on the tribs. They could fish well also as long is it's not the one contributing runoff.

Rio Grande 1200 cfs at Thirty Mile Bridge; Fair to Good: 3150 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap; Fair to Good
Dam operators have increased the release out of Rio Grande Reservoir big time. Fishing out of a boat should be good, but tougher on the wading angler. Streamer fishing and nymph fishing has been good. Still no stoneflies out yet. Should be another 2 weeks.  

Pagosa Area- Piedra River 1830 cfs at Arboles; Slow; San Juan River 1840 cfs at Pagosa Springs; Slow
High water and spring snowmelt has hit these area waters like everything else. Maybe some of the headwater streams or smaller tribs, I haven't had any reports from here but looking at stream flows doesn't make me hopeful for decent fishing. Maybe Williams Creek below the dam.

Animas River 6740 cfs at Durango; Poor 
The Animas is incredibly high and murky and cold. Warm weather has accelerated the snowmelt causing the river to swell dramatically. I'd book a raft trip here before I'd consider fishing the Animas. Keep checking flows. The peak of runoff apparently was later than I thought. It looks like it will be awhile before conditions start improving.  

Arkansas River 1430 cfs at Granite; Fair to Good: 2460 cfs at Salida; Fair to Good
Dam releases from Sugarloaf Reservoir to Clear Creek as well as runoff from the tribs has caused the Ark to go up in flow like every other stream in the region. The better fishing is going to be upriver of Buena Vista and Chalk Creek. Any tributary that you can get above is generally resulting in clearer water. Wading is tough but the Hayden Meadows area is the best bet. Blue winged olives are still the most hatch centric thing going on.

 Stream flows and dam releases can and have changed overnight. Be sure to check out our links page for stream flows for New Mexico and Colorado before you go or CALL the fly shop for the latest in stream flows and water conditions.


Please see our home page for more news and upcoming events!

Call us at the shop for conditions on waters not listed here. 505-988-7688 out of Santa Fe or 988-7688 in Santa Fe.

Click on Public Lands Information Center from our links page for a full list of fire restrictions and closures.